Greater Franklin Food Council outlines 2026 initiatives to expand food access

Educational programs, agricultural workshops and community food events will be offered throughout the year.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The Greater Franklin Food Council is advancing several initiatives in 2026 aimed at strengthening Franklin County's local food system through farmer support, educational programming and expanded community food access. The council's plans include school garden coordination, a community garden survey, partnerships with the Maine Tasting Center, the annual Maine Fiddlehead Festival, farmer workshops, and community food events.

Why it matters

The Greater Franklin Food Council's initiatives are designed to support local agriculture, increase food access, and build community around food in Franklin County. By investing in farmer education, community gardens, and food-focused events, the council aims to strengthen the region's local food system and make nutritious, locally-grown food more available to all residents.

The details

The council's 2026 plans include working with a school garden coach to help area schools plan and prepare their gardens, gathering community input through a survey on expanding community garden access and volunteer participation, partnering with the Maine Tasting Center to feature local producers, hosting the annual Maine Fiddlehead Festival, offering educational workshops for farmers, and organizing community food events like a Women's Full Moon Snowshoe hike.

  • The school garden coach is currently working with area schools to begin seasonal preparation.
  • The community garden survey is available through the council's website and social media pages.
  • The 2026 Maine Fiddlehead Festival is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the University of Maine at Farmington.
  • A winter apple pruning workshop is open for registration.
  • The annual spring farmer workshop will be held on March 31 at UMF.

The players

Erica Emery

A representative of the Greater Franklin Food Council.

Greater Franklin Food Council

A volunteer-led organization working to strengthen Franklin County's local food system.

Maine Tasting Center

A destination in Wiscasset that includes an educational kitchen, tasting room, and museum focused on Maine food and agriculture.

Root Down Market

A Franklin County business that participated in the Maine Tasting Center visit.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

An organization that is co-hosting the annual spring farmer workshop with the Greater Franklin Food Council.

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What they’re saying

“Our school garden coach is working with schools this month to kickoff garden planning. Students are selecting vegetable crops to grow and making garden maps to plan out gardens.”

— Erica Emery, Representative, Greater Franklin Food Council (centralmaine.com)

“We want to better understand the need, how many people want community garden plots and understand if there are people in our community who might want to volunteer to grow food for food security efforts. The results will help guide us in making decisions about programming at our current Gather and Grow Community Garden plot that we run at Stone Soup Gardens.”

— Erica Emery, Representative, Greater Franklin Food Council (centralmaine.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The Greater Franklin Food Council's initiatives demonstrate a commitment to supporting local agriculture, increasing food access, and building community around food in Franklin County. By investing in farmer education, community gardens, and food-focused events, the council is working to strengthen the region's local food system and make nutritious, locally-grown food more available to all residents.